Peanut-picking machine



-April l', 1930. c. M. DYKEs PEANUT PIGKIHGv MACHINE :s sheets-sheet `1 Filed May 10. 1928 c z. M. DYKES PEANUT PIGKING MACHINE April l, 1930.

Filed May 10,` 1928 x E L@ www@ www Patented Apr. 1, 1930 CoY M. DYKEs, or Amazon, ALABAMA PEANUT-EICKING MACHINE Application filed May 10, 1928. Serial No. 276,684.

The present invention relates to a.V peanut picking machine, and aims to provide a novel and improved machine of this character vfor conveniently and eliiciently removing and sep- 5 arating pods lfrom plants especially peanut bearing plants. Y y

Another object of the invention is the provision of a pair ofk spaced screens over which the peanut plants are dragged,'the mesh of lo said screens being of sufficient size to permit.

' 20 ing screens over whichr travelbars of an endless feeding belt, said bars havingteeth thereon for engagingl the plants so as to drag the same over the uppermost of said screens and then over the lowermost screens between '25 which are arranged a plurality of inclined chutes for directing pods dropping through the upper screen to certain points on the lowery screen in order'that said pods may readily pass through said lower screen.` A still further obj ect of the invention is the provision of a power-driven-whirling lpaddle for engaging the plantsafter the pods have been removed therefrom forvseparating the plants from the cross bars ofa conveyor 35 which drags the pods over a separating screen. Y

The invention has for anotherv object the provision of va pod conveyor arranged below a pod separating screen for receivingv the pods and conveying the same to one end of the machine, said' pods in passing from the conveyor being subjected to a blast of air for removing loose stems and other light foreign matter therefrom. 45 Still another object of the invention is to provide a drum mounted for rocking movement ,into which pods are placed, said drum' being rocked from side to side as a plurality of rotary cutting elements extending into the interior of said drum engage and cut the remaining stems from the pods, said rotary cutting elements being mounted on stationary revolving axes, while the rocking of said drum lthrows the pods and stems remaining thereon into engagement therewith, said drum having the opposite ends thereof open so as to provide a feed end and a discharge end, said opening in said discharge end being on a lower plane than the opening in the feed end so that the pods gradually pass from the drum as all stems are removed therefrom.

It is also an object of the invention to pro vide a machine of the above indicated character, which may be manufactured at a reasonable cost, and one which will be thoroughly eliicient and practical inuse.v

With theV foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent Y'as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing froml the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation peanut picking machine,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same, Y l

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure l,

'Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4 4 of Figure l, and

Figure 5 is a similar section taken on line of my improved 5 5 of Figure l.

In carrying out the invention, the .frame 10 of the machine consists of a plurality of vertical uprights l1 which have their lower ends attached to a pair of spaced horizontal sills l2, while the upper end of the uprights 11 on each side of the machine have attached thereto on the inner faces thereof a pair of horizontal planks 13. The ends of the planks 13 extend beyond the outermost uprights ll and are attached to outwardly inclined`uprights 14, secured to the sills 12 atthe lower ends of the outermost uprights l1, while their upper ends are spaced from the upper ends of the outermost uprights 11. The cross members for holding the opposite sides of the i scription proceeds.

. Attached to the upper ends o-f the inclined uprights 14 at one end of the frame are bearings 15 supporting a shaft 16, having a pair of sprocket inner sides of the planks 13, and at the opposite end of the frame on the outermost uprights 11 are attached a pair of bearings 18V for a transverse shaft 19 having mounted thereo-n a pair of sprocket` gears 2O at opposite sides of the frame Vand at the inner sides of the planks 13. Trained about the sprocket gears 17 and 2O at each side of the frame is a pair of sprocket chains 21,v between which extend at spaced intervals and having on theV forward edges thereof a plurality of triangular plant engaging teeth 23, the upper stretch of the endless feeding belt so formed being on a planey above the upper edges of the planks 13. As clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, it can beV seen that the transverse bars carry a plurality of teeth 23 and that said teeth protrude forwardly of the bars 22- or in the direction of travel of the feeding belt.

Attached to the inner faces of the oppositely arranged planks 13 adjacent the upper edges thereof is a pair of upper and lower horizontal screens 24 and 25, respectively, said screens being constructed of wire mesh material having openings therein of sufficient size for permitting the pods of the peanut plants to droptherethrough. By referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, it can be seen that the strands of wire forming the-mesh of the screen extend at angles with respect to the frame to provide openings which taper longitudinally-'of the machine so as to cause the pulling ofthe poils from the plants as they are brushed forwardly over the screen. By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, it can be seen that the transverse bars of the feeding belt are slightly above the screens and i 25 at the upper and lower runs'of said feeding belt. The screens are supported at their opposite ends by bars 26 adjacent the sprocket gears 17 and 20, the cross bars 26L adjacent the sprocket gear 17 being attached at their ends to the longitudinal planks 13 at opposite sides of the frame of the machine. At the opposite end of the machine the upper screen 24 is gradually curved downwardly to a point adjacent the shaft 19 upon which the sprocket gears 20 are mounted and the bar 26 at this point is loosely attachedl to the shaft 19 by means of bracketsr27, or the like, while the lower screen 25 at this end ofthe machine has its end curved upwardly to a point spaced outwardly of the end of the screen 24 and the bar 26 supporting the same is attached to the planks 13. Thus it can be seen that peanut plants dragged ov-er the upper screen by the transverse bars 22 of the endless feedgears 17 mounted thereon, at the' ing belt will be carried onto the lower screen 25 to be further dragged thereover.

rlhe extended upper ends of the uprights 11 have attached to the inner sides thereof a pair of longitudinally extending strips 28 between which a plurality of transversely extending supporting members 29 are attached and arranged in spaced parallel relation. Secured to each of the supporting members 29 at 31 is a plurality of spring fingers 30, extending downwardly and slightly rearwardly, as at 32, and terminating slightly above the transverse bars 22 of the feeding belt. The spring lingers 30 are coiled, as at 33, so as to increase the resiliency thereof. The ends of the longitudinal strips 28 above the rear` end of the Vfeeding belt are curved downwardly so as to conform substantially-to the curvature of said belt as it passesover the sprocket wheels 20,.and said endsof the strips 28 are attached on the upperY edges of the uppermost planks 13, as at 35. The spaced supporting members 29 are continued throughout the entire length` of the strips28 so that the spring fingers 30 supportedl thereby will force the plants'upon the lowerfscreen 25. It can be seen thatthe triangular teeth on the transverse bars22 of the feeding belt drag the plants over the screen 247 and that the spring lingers 30 above said belt and screen assist in removing the pods-by forcing the plants down upon said screen.v as-they are draggedthereover by the feeding belt.V

Arranged between theupper screen 24 and the lower-screen 25 and attached to the opposite sides of the frame 10Vis a series of inclined boards-36 inparallel spaced relation to each otherto form chutes for directingY the pods removedv from the screenY 24 to. certain point-s onthe screen 25 and` support a. pluralityl of depending spring ngers 37 which extend downwardly into close. proximity to the screen 25. Each of the inclinedl boards 36 has a plurality ofthe fingers 37 depending therefrom, and-due to the fact that theboards are inclined it can be seen that the fingers are of increasing length from the lower to the upper end of each board,` so that the resiliency of the longer fingers is Vgreater than that of the shorter, and that due to the factthat the pods dropped upon the inclined boards. 36 will be deposited onto the screen25 at points in rear of the shortermost of said spring fingers, their movement will be -retarded for removing stems as the pods pass through the lower screen 25. Thespring fingers 37 are of a similar construction tothe spring'ingers 30 being provided with coiled; portions 38 intermediate their endsand attached at one end tothe board36,as at 39. These spring fingers perform the same function with respect to the lower screen 25 asthe lingers 30 do in connection with the screen 24, namely to force the plants containing the pods downwardly upon the screen so thatthe pods will pass through the screen and be pulled from the plants as the same are dragged over the screen. Between the forward ends of the screens 24 and 25, is an inclined chute 39a carried'by the shaft 16 and the bar 26 for directing peanuts sifted through the forward end of screen 24 to a point onythe forward end of the screen 25 through which they will drop on to a conveyor 42; v

Mounted beneath the screen 25 adjacent each end of the frame 10 is a pair of Vrollers 40 and 41 over which istraineda conveyor belt 42 adapted to receive the peanuts dropped through the lower screen 25 and convey the same to one end of the machine. The roller 41 is mounted in stationary bearings attached to the frame, while the roller 40 at the forward end of the machine is mounted in a slida'ble bearing 43 for permitting' adjustment of the roller in' order to obtain the proper tension of the conveyor belt 42. TWhile I have shown an adjustable bearing 43 for the roller 40, it is to be understood that any approved type of adjustable bearing may be used. The belt conveyor 42 is adapted to turn in a direction so that the upper run thereof moves in the ydirection of the arrow 44, in the opposite direction of movement of the lower run of the feeding belt which carries the transverse bars 22 that move the plants over the screen 25. Thus it can be seen that as the podsdrop from the lower screen 2.5 onto the conveyor belt 42 they are carried to the opposite end of the machine from that from which the plantsare discharged. At the end of the machine where the plants, after having the pods separated therefrom, are discharged, a whirling paddle 45 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 47 journalled in bearings 46 and consisting of cross-heads 48 having transversely extending blades 49 attached to the ends thereof. AThe direction of movement of the whirling paddle 45 is such that the blades 49 will engage the plants as the same are moved o of the screen 25 and throw the same outwardly froinengagement with the teeth 23 of the feeding belt so as to remove all plants from the bars and teeth prior to their return to the upper run of'saidv feeding belt. As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, a sprocket wheel 50 is mounted upon the shaft carrying the roller 40, and a sprocket wheel 51 mounted upon the shaft'47 ofthe whirling paddle 45, with a sprocket chain 52 trained over said sprocket wheels so that the driving connection to the whirling paddle is from the belt conveyor 42. Due to the fact that the roller 40 is adjustably mounted and the position thereof is changed with respect to the whirling paddle 45, I have provided an idler 53 which engages the upperl run of the sprocket chain 42 in order to take up all slack in said sprocket chain. vThe idler 53 carried by a weighted arm 54 pivotally mounted to the frame of the machine, as at 55.

Mounted beneath the conveyor belt 42 on the frame 10 by suitable cross members is ar inlet opening 59 in one side thereof for reguu lating the amount of air introducedv into the fan and thevelocity of the blast of air on the pods during the discharge of the same from the conveyor belt. rllhe fan is driven by rotor shaft 60 which has mounted thereon a belt pulley 61 over which a driving belt 62 is trained from the mainv power supplying belt pulley 63, the latter being of greater circumference than the belt pulley 61 in order to cause the rotating of the fan at a relatively highl rate of speed. The main drive pulley 63 is mounted upon the shaft 64on which the roller 41 is mounted and forms the driving connection to the conveyor belt 42. In order to drive the feeding belt a sprocket wheel 65 is also mounted on the shaft 64, while a sprocket wheel 66 is mounted upon the shaft 19 carrying the sprocket wheels 20, and a sprocket chain 67 is trained about the sprocket wheels 65 and 66 which formsthe driving connection above referred to.

At the points where the pods are discharged from the conveyor beltv 42,' the upper end of an inclined chute 68 is arranged consisting of a plurality of parallel bars 69, spaced a sufficient distance apart for permitting pods to pass between the same yet directing objects of greater size or length downwardly thereover. The ends of the bars 69 are attached together by transverse bars 70 and 71 at opposite ends of the chute 68. As the pods drop through vthe chute 68 they fall upon an oppositely inclined chute 72, adjustably secured to the frame so that the position thereof may be adjusted with respect to the chute 68 for varying the amount of pods and any remainingv foreign substances to v be caught by the chute 72. For adjustment the chute 72 is pivotally supported at its lower end by a bracket 73 mounted upon the frame f of the machine while its upper end is connect- 'ed to the frame by flexible elements, such as chains 74 engaged by hooks, or similar elements, 75. 1 The pods caught in the chute 72 are directed downwardly through an open end 76 of a drum 77.

The drum 77 is of semi-cylindrical formation and is attached to a shaft 78 mounted in bearings 79 and 80, said bearings being carried by cross members 81 and 82 of the frame 10. The shaft 78 is at the axis of the `semicylindrical drum, and the vlatter is provided with a top 83 for closing the same, and secured to said topl 83 are brackets 84 for fixing A the drum to the shaft 78. Mounted'upon the uprights 11 at one side of the frame above andl slightly to the side of the drum in Vsuitable bearings 8,5 is a crankshaft 86, having a pair of offset crank portions 87 to which connecting rods 88 are rotatably connected at one end, the other end of said Vconnecting rods 88 being pivotally connected, as at 89, to brackets 90 secured to one side of the semi-cylindrical drum 77. The arrangement ofV the crank shaft With respect to the drum is such that as the crankshaft is rotated,the connecting rods and brackets Will cause a rocking movement of the semi-cylindrical drum.`

On one end of the crankshaft 86 is attached a bevel gear 91 which meshes with another bevel gear 92 carried by and fixed to a stub shaft 93 rotatably supported in bearings 0n an upright 11 of the frame. Also 'carried and ing disks.

fixed to the stub shaft 93 is a sprocket Wheel 94 over Whichl a sprocket chain 95 is trained from another sprocket Wheel 96 vfixed to the shaft 64 having the main belt driving pulley 63 thereon. Thus it can be seen that the driving connection for the crank shaft 86 Will be from the main belt drive pulley 63 through the sprocket Wheel 96, chain 95, sprocket Wheel v94, stub shaft 93, bevel gear 92, and bevel gear 91.

Attached to opposite uprights 11 of the frame 10 are transverse supporting members 97 to which are secured bearings'98 in which are journalled a pair of shafts 99 and100, extendin g from one transverse supporting member 97 to the other and being mounted in the bearings'carried by said supporting members.

Each of the shafts 99 and 100 Carry a plurality of spaced disks or blades 101 provided at their peripheries with oppositely beveled teeth 102 for removing stems and other extraneous substance from the pods. The semi-cylindricaldrum 77 is constructed of a plurality of slats slightly spaced from each other so as to provide slots 103 through certain of Which the toothed disks extend. It is to be noted that the disks do notpass through all the slots 103 and that by having certain of the slots Without toothed disks, stems, sand and other small foreign matter may sift through them so as not to interfere With the action of the teeth on the cutting blades. VThe spaces between the slats extend around practically the entire semi-cylindrical. drum so as I to'permit rocking of the drum Without interfering with the operation of the cutting blades. Vhile I have shown the semi-cylindrical drum constructed of a plurality of slightly'spaced slats to provide the slots 103, it is to be understood that the same may be constructedY of'one piece and then slotted in order to receive the toothed cutting or scrap- By referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, it can be seen that the shaft-99 is slightly to one side of the vertical plane through the axis of the drum 77, While the shaft 100 is ata greater distance beyond the other side of said vertical plane,th e purpose of this arrangement being to permit an even cutting 0r scraping Within the drum due tothe fact that both sets of blades rotate in Fthe same direction, indicated by the arrows 104. Y

Carried upon one end of the shafts 99 and 100 are sprocket Wheels 105 and 106 respectively, around `which is trained av sprocket chain 107 which causesvtherotatincr ofthe disk shaped cutting blades on both sliafts 99 and 100 in the same direction. `Also mounted upon the shaft 99 is another sprocket Wheel 108 from vwhich a sprocket chain 109 extends to a sprocket Wheel 110 mounted upon and attached to the crank shaft 86. An idler 111` engages one run of the chain 109 in order to hold the same to one side of theopening 112 in the discharge end of the drum 77, said idler being carried by a Weighted arm 113 pivoted on a transverse supporting member 97.V Extending into the opening 112 is an inclined chute 114 through Which the peanuts pass when discharged from the drum 77. The chute 114 is supported in proper position by means of a bracket 115 secured to one of the transverse supporting members-97. It is to be noted that the feedV opening 76 at one end of the drum and the discharge opening 112 at the opposite end thereof are provided With lower-curved surfaces having the same points of center as that of the semi-cylindrical curved surface of the drum, so that as the drum is rocked from. side yto side the chutes 7 2 and 114 will bein close position to the l-oWer curved edges of said opening. It also is to be noted that the opening 112 is slightly lower than the opening 76, which Will cause the peanuts to be gradually discharged through the opening 112 when the level of the peanuts in the drum is in alinement With the lower edge of said opening.

In operation, a drivingbelt on the main drive pulley 63 is connected with any suitable povv'er supplying plant which Will cause the operation of the various elements of the machine. The plants containing the pods are placed upon the end of the upper screen 24. Where the sprocket gears 17 are arranged and due tothe fact that the upper run of the Vsprocket chains 21 carrying the cross bars 22 is in a direction towards the opposite end of the machine, the plants will be draggedover the upper screen 24 and held in Contact With said screen by the spring fingers .30 arranged thereabove. Y The teeth 23 Von the cross bars 22 Will engage the plants. so as to moveV the saine over the screen. Due to the fact that the mesh which forms the screen 24 is arranged With the strands of Wire at angles With respect to the line of travel of the plants the pods entering the openings in the screen will be pulled from the plants at the latter are moved over the screen. l/Vhen the-plants are moved to the opposite end of the screen 24, they Will be carried onto one end of the twigs, foliage, stems, and other light foreignl lower screen 25, due to." the constructi-on of the ends of the screen andthe manner in .which the transverse bars move with relation the screen 25. Asthe plants are moved over l the lower screen 25, the remaining pods entering the openings therethrough .will bey pulled from the plants as explained with reference to the other screen. Vhen the plants reach the opposite end ofthe screen 25, they are engaged by the whirling paddle 45 so as to throw the plants away from the transverse Vbars'22 and teeth 23 in order to eliminate the danger l0f plants being'carried around the sprocket gears 17 and not over the upper screen'24. As the whirling paddle revolves at a higher rate of speed than the travel of the transverse bars 22, it can be seen t-hat the paddle will act in an eilicient manner in order to relieve the bars of all plants after the same have been dragged completely over both the Aupper and lower screens.

The pods dropping through the upper screen fall upon the inclined boards'36 and are directed to certain points on the lower screen 25. Such points are between the series of teeth carried by the different boards 36 so that the plants being relieved from a packed condition at these points the pods may easily drop through the plants ontov and through Athe lower screen 25. The pods dropping from lboth the upper and lower screens 24Vand 25 fall upon the belt type conveyor 42 which moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 44, being opposite tothat of the lower run of the chains 21. :The pods will be moved to the end of the machine where the inclined chute 68 is arranged. As the chute 68is of a construction for permitting the pods to-drop therethrough and- -prevent the passage of larger objects a separating action is had at such point. Also for aiding in separating matter from the pods a blast of air is supplied at the point where the pods 'pass from the conveyor 42 for blowing the same beyond the inclined chute 72. v

The peanuts dropping through the flat constructed chute 68 fall into the inclined chute 72 and are directed into the feed end ofthe drum 77. As thedrum 77 is rocked from side to side byV means of the crankshaft and conv necting rod construction, the pods therein will be thrown from one side to the other, and due to the fact that the disk shaped cutting blades 101 carried by the shafts 99 and 100 extend into the drum, the teeth 102 on said disks will serve to cut away the stems that Inay still remain on the pods.y As will be noted the disk shaped cutting blades are spaced a distance apart for operating onall objects of a length slightly greater than pods so as to remove all clinging stems from the pods. As the pods accumulate. in the drum .77, they remain inthe drum untilthe level thereof is on a horizontal plane with the inner end of the chute 114, at which time allpods above such plane will pass outofthe chute and into hoppers or the like.

-As the rotary cuttingblades 101 having the teeth 102 are carried byjsha-fts mounted in stationary bearings, it can'be seen that the position of' the shafts and blades remain the same during rotary movement and that as said-blades work through slits in the drum .rocking movement of the latter is vpermitted to throw the podsandstenis attached thereto into and out of engagement with the teeth of the cutting blades so asto completely remove all stems froin the pods before the same pass from the discharge end of the drum.

drawings, I have arranged one set of rotary cutting disks slightly to'one side of a vertical plane beneath the center of the drum and the other set of rotary cuttingblades-spaced considerably from said plane, whereby one set of cutting blades will do the same amount of work as the other. e

y Having thus described my invention, what lola-im as new is :r p

v1.V A peanut picking machine comprising a pair of spaced apart horizontal screens, an

endless conveyor passing over rollers at the end of the upper screen and Ahaving the op.- posite runs thereof travelling above theupper and lower screens, respectively, for moving the leguminous plants over said screens so ioo that the pods may drop through the screens V successively.`

a pair of spaced apart horizontal' screens, an endless conveyor having the opposite runs thereof travelling above the screens respectively for moving the leguminous plants over said screens so that the pods may pass through the screens successivelyand be'picked as the lants are moved overrsaid screens, spring Engers above the uppermost screen for forcing the plants in engagement therewith, a plurality of inclined plates between the screens, and spring fingers on the upper side of said plates for forcing the plants in engagement with the lowermost screen.

3. A peanut picking machine comprising a pair of spaced apart horizontal screens, an endless conveyor having the`opposite yruns thereof travelling above the screens respectively for lmoving leguminous plants over said screenssuccessively -so that the pods on said plants may pass through the screens and be picked as the plants are moved over Said 2. Ar peanut picking machine comprising thereto.

screens, spring fingers arranged above the uppermost screen for ,forcing the plants in engagement therewith, a plurality ofinclined plates arrangedV between said screens, Aand spring fingers on the upper side of said plates for forcing the plants in engagement with the lowermost screen, the spring fingers carried by each plate being spaced slightly from the spring fingers carried by the plate adjacent 4. A peanut picking machine comprising a pair of spaced apart horizontal screens, an endless conveyor having the opposite runs thereof travelling above the screens respectively for moving leguminous plants over said screens so that the pods may pass through the screens and be picked as the plants are moved over said screens, spring ngers above the uppermost screen for forcing the plants in engagement with the upper screen, a plurality of inclined plates between said screens, and spring fingers carried on the upper side of said plates for forcing the plantsvin engagement with the lowermost screen, said spring fingers being of various lengths and all terminating slightly above the lower screen for forming a'greater pressure on the plants at the declined edges of the plates.-

5. A peanut picking machine `comprising a screen, a conveyor, transverse bars carried by the conveyor and disposed slightly above the screen for dragging leguminous plants over the screen, spring fingers above said transverse ba'rs for forcing the plants in' engagement with the screen, anditriangularly shapedteeth on the forward edges of said transverse bars' providing tapered recesses for engaging the plantsto drag them over the screen.

6. A peanut picking machine comprising a pair of spaced apart horizontal screens, an endless conveyor for dragging the leguminous plants over said screens, said conveyor having its upper run above the upper screen andthe lowerv run abovek the lower screen,

the screens being constructed so that plants moved from the upper screen will be moved onto the lower screen for passage over said lower screen.

' 7. A peanut picking machine comprising a screen, an endless conveyor having a run thereof above said screen, and a whirling paddle at the end of the screen for engaging the leguminous plants after they are dragged over said screen by said conveyor" and for throwing the same from the conveyor. v

8. A peanut picking machine comprising a supporting frame, an endless conveyor or feeding-belt mounted therein, a screen supported below'the upper -run of the belt, and a screen supported below the lower run of said belt and having the end thereof cooperating with the discharge end of the upper screen curved upwardly beyond the conveyor,

10. A peanut picking machine comprising a supporting frame, an endless conveyor or feeding-belt mounted therein, a screen supported below the upper run 'of the belt and having its discharge end curved downwardly at a slight Ydistance from the feeding-belt, and a screen supported below the lower run of the feeding-belt and having the end there of cooperating with the discharge end of the upper screen `curved upwardlybeyond said belt, the feeding-belt serving to drag the plants over the screens successively; together with a carrier-belt for the pods mounted below the lower screen, and a blower directing a blast of air at the end of said carrier-belt.

l1. A peanut pickingmachine comprising a supporting frame, an endless conveyor or feeding-belt mounted therein, a screen supported below theupper run of the belt, and a screen supported below the lower run of said belt and curved upwardly beyond the same at the discharge end of the upper screen; together with spring fingers above the upper vand lower runs of the feeding-belt for pressing the plants through said belt and against the screens.

12. A peanut picking machine comprising a supporting frame, an endless conveyor or feedingfbelt mounted therein, a screen supf ported below the upper run of the belt and having its dischargevend curved downwardly a slight distance from said belt, a screen supported below the lower runof the belt and `curved upwardly beyond the same at the dis- E"lo lOO

charge end of the upper screen, and spring fingers above the upper and lower runs of the feeding-belt for pressing the plants through said belt and against the screen; together with a carrier-belt for the pods mounted below the lower screen, and a blower directing a blast of air at the end COY M. DYKES,

of said carrier-belt. i" 

